Don’t Overthink This by Kelly Piazza

This is a tough review to write for several reasons. I need to consider the plot’s uniqueness and the brutal honesty permeating the entire narrative. There is also the pretty natural introduction of a polyglot family and switching between Italian and English in personal conversations while ensuring the reader is not left out while simultaneously not being focused on spelling out the meaning. I am unable to pinpoint the exact ploy the author used to achieve such a feat, but she did.
These and the extremely honest familial reactions make this a very grand debut book. That said, the topic highlighted here is not for anyone looking for a cozy read. There is love involved in this story, the kind that often takes a beating before it comes back strong. In many romantic books, it is a setback that is eventually overcome. Here the addiction is central to the plot while the love is at times a crutch and other times a shoulder or hand to improve things. This statement describes succinctly what the book is all about.
To elaborate a little, our lead protagonist is an addict in the throes of his latest relapse and is a hardly functioning human being. There are other mental issues discussed here, and the weight that everyone in the inner circle carries when addiction rears its head.
The story swings between the past and the present, slowly working into the page the history behind what we are reading while simultaneously focusing on the now.
I thought I could handle the kind of story the blurb promised it would be (and delivered), but it was not my kind of story. The writing is easy and deals with information very well. I would definitely want to read the author’s next book. The realistic narration also meant a lot of back and forth, which was the hardest to watch. I would only recommend this to people who are on the lookout for such a solid read.
I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.

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